Japan Golden Route

Tokyo is a city of contrasts. Japan’s capital is famous for its pioneering modernity, iconic neon cityscapes and soaring skyscrapers, yet dotted with peaceful parks, shrines, temples, and tranquil gardens. Despite its mania for pop culture, anime, fashion, digital trends and discernible consumption, the city embraces an ancient heritage evident in the temples and shrines scattered amongst the towering high-rise buildings. The Imperial Palace provides a palpable link to the city’s incredible heritage even with the explosion of emporia. Away from the shopping and entertainment districts, historic wooden houses, private bonsai gardens and the calming Zen atmosphere of the Hamarikyu Gardens allow visitors an escape from the hyperactivity of the lively streets. Despite the city’s reputation as an expensive destination, visitors can take advantage of the inexpensive izakaya bars and local cafes serving delectable noodle and rice dishes. In fact, many of Tokyo’s charms can be enjoyed free of charge: stroll through Asakusa, the Buddhist temple of Sensoji, the fashion mecca of Harajuku, the lively outer market at Tsukiji, or the entertainment district of Shinjuku, and feel fully immersed in the atmosphere of Japan’s largest city.

Upon arrival at Narita Airport, you will be met by an assistant at the arrival lobby before boarding your shared transfer to your hotel in Tokyo.

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Take a full-day tour of this fascinating city with a local guide. First up is Asakusa, Tokyo’s old town where you can soak in the atmosphere of traditional Tokyo. Visit Sensoji, Tokyo’s oldest temple and wander down Nakamise, a shopping street that has been providing temple visitors with a variety of traditional, local snacks and tourist souvenirs for centuries. Next, travel down the Sumidagawa River on Tokyo's Water Bus, a unique means of transportation. After enjoying Tokyo’s bridges and skyline from the water, visit Hamarikyu Garden, an Edo-period Japanese garden surrounded by the Shiodome district’s futuristic skyscrapers, a great example of how Japan is the land of contrasts. Here, you will stop for a cup of steaming matcha and Japanese sweets in a tea house on a small island in the park’s lake.

Later, enjoy a visit to Meiji Shrine, a shrine dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji and a popular place for traditional Japanese weddings. Finally, as the sunlight fades, take a walk down the flashy Omotesando shopping street, a broad tree-lined avenue home to flagship stores of some of the world’s top fashion brands as well as some fantastic modern architecture.

Notes: The water bus does not operate on Tuesdays; public transportation will be used instead

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The world’s largest fish market, Tsukiji Market, handled about 2,888 tons of marine products worth about 2.8 billion yen (USD 20 million) every day, before the wholesale part was moved to its new location in Toyosu. Some 450 kinds of fish were traded here – from penny-per-piece sardines to golden brown dried sea slug caviar, at a whopping USD 473 per pound. Some of the giant tuna sold for well over JPY 1,000,000 each (USD 8,000).

Meet your guide and go to Tsukiji to stroll around the market. While the wholesale market has moved to its new location, the outer market remains, and you can explore both the vegetable and fruit areas plus the impressive seafood section as you wander the streets here. You will also be able to try some tasty samples as you explore.

Notes:

This tour focuses on the outer market open to the public in Tsukiji, not the new wholesale market located in Toyosu. Tsukiji market is closed on Sundays, Wednesdays, and national holidays. Some of the shops might still be open for tourists, but the atmosphere is very quiet

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Hakone is famous for its hot springs, outdoor pursuits, and the occasional views of Mount Fuji. Part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park and located less than 100 kilometres from the capital, Hakone is a popular weekend destination for Tokyoites looking to escape the big city frenzy for a few days. Besides its towering mountains and beautiful lake, Hakone also boasts interesting historical sites. It’s possible to tour Hakone as a day trip from Tokyo if you leave early enough and limit your sightseeing to a few key attractions, but adding an overnight stay and a soak in one of the area’s famous hot springs is highly recommended.

Take Japan’s world-famous shinkansen (bullet train) to Hakone.

Using your Hakone Free Pass, take advantage of the extensive local transport network to explore this stunning area. Ride switchback trains, cable cars, ropeways, and buses – then embark on a pirate ship cruise, which will sweep you across the volcanic Lake Ashi while providing views of Mt. Fuji on clear days.

In the evening, enjoy your stay at a traditional Japanese ryokan, complete with delicious multi-course meals, a steaming onsen (hot spring) and futons laid out on tatami mats.

Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

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In the morning, make your way to Odawara Station using your Hakone Free Pass, then board the shinkansen bound for Kyoto.

Kyoto is one of Japan’s must-see destinations. The city is the former capital of Japan and residence of the emperor from 794 until 1868. Today, it is Japan’s seventh largest metropolis with a population of around 1.4 million and a rich culture that offers a plethora of temples, shrines and other stunning and historically significant structures. With 2,000 religious buildings, including 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and associated architecture, it is one of the best-preserved historic cities in Japan and is home to no less than 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites. Kyoto represents the ‘old Japan’, and beyond the high-rise skyscrapers built as a celebration of progress, the real monuments of Japan’s historical and cultural past can be found in the city’s narrow alleyways where tea houses abound and kimono-clad geisha hurry between appointments. This is the place to go back in time to Japan’s mysterious past, with traces of court nobility resonating at the Imperial Palace and where search for contemplation can be fulfilled in Ryoanji’s Zen rock gardens.

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The world-famous Fushimi Inari Shrine sees millions of visitors every year. Thousands of bright red torii gates line the mountain trail, and walking through them is a visually stunning experience. Inari is the Japanese god of rice harvest and is also believed to bless businesses with abundant fortune, hence its popularity with merchants. 

The shrine complex spans the entire Mt. Inari (233 metres). On this tour, you will visit the main shrine hall. Then, you will proceed through the famed tunnel of vermillion gates.

Next, visit a temple that once caught fire and was reconstructed a century after it was first completed. At 120 metres, Sanjusangendo is the longest wooden structure in Japan. Inside, you will find 1001 statues of Kannon, the Buddhist god of mercy. 

Next stop is Kiyomizu-dera Temple, a celebrated UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built for Kannon, this temple is said to grant wishes of all kinds – and especially so for women praying for safe childbirth. The temple is famous for its wooden platform stage, the Kiyomizu Butai. The massive stage was constructed without the use of a single nail and was once a popular wish-making spot.

In the afternoon, you will visit Kinkakuji Temple. Drawing millions of visitors each year, you will quickly understand why this jewel in the northern hills of Kyoto is one of the country’s most visited sites. A far cry from Buddhist austerity, it is covered in real gold leaf, photogenically stunning at any time of year no matter the weather. The story of the warlord who had this pavilion built will surely capture your mind, too. 

Finally, visit Kitano-Tenmangu, a remarkable shrine to scholarship built to appease the spirit of an angry ghost. Buy a lucky pencil as local students do for their college entry exams, and then marvel at the surrounding entertainment district. After a fire in 1444, a large section of the temple was rebuilt, and the remaining timber was used to construct 7 tea houses that became the first ‘flower town’ or geisha district. in Kyoto. Kamishichiken is every bit as charming as its more touristy cousin Gion, with the bonus of fewer crowds and excellent photo opportunities.

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Transfer from your hotel to Nara together with a local guide.

During the 8th century, Nara was Japan’s capital for 74 years, and many important religious sites still remain. First, you will visit the beautiful Isuien Garden, divided into two distinct areas that were built two centuries apart. The garden is a striking example of Japanese horticulture, borrowing the water from the Yoshikigawa River and the mountain backdrop of Mt. Wakakusayama to create its striking appearance.

Next, wander through Nara Park, also known as the ‘deer park’ due to the more than 1,000 free-roaming deer living there. Within Nara Park is Todaiji Temple, the world’s largest wooden building and home to Japan’s biggest Buddha statue.

Next stop is Nara’s most celebrated shrine, Kasuga Taisha, established in 768 AD and famous for its hundreds of bronze and stone lanterns donated by worshippers.

To contrast today’s many temples and shrines, end your day with a stroll around Naramachi, a charming historic merchant district showcasing some exceptionally well-preserved ‘machiya’ town houses. If you have time to spare, some of these beautiful houses can be entered for free and is a chance to get a peek at traditional residential architecture.

Your guide will accompany you back to Kyoto at the end of the day.

Notes:

Isuien Garden is closed on Tuesdays. In this case, you will visit Yoshikien Garden instead. Kasuga Taisha is closed 20DEC-7JAN and 1-13MAR. During these periods, Kofukuji Temple will be visited instead

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Today, take the shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo. The rest of the day is free to spend at your leisure.

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Your day is free until your scheduled shared transfer to Narita Airport in time for your return flight.

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